


Hospital Ship

by rabidsamfan



Series: 100 Words to Baker Street [8]
Category: Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms, Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-16
Updated: 2011-10-16
Packaged: 2017-10-24 16:36:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/265610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rabidsamfan/pseuds/rabidsamfan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In wartime, the rules are not always followed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. April 17, 1917

**Author's Note:**

> This is actually [two prompts](http://watsons-woes.livejournal.com/563968.html) from the Watsons Woes July challenge. The first was a for a poem (see the end notes), which inspired me to do some [internet](http://www.archive.org/stream/waronhospitalshi00lond#page/8/mode/2up) [research](http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F10F1FF8395F1B7A93C1AB178FD85F438185F9).

A command of the channel and a strong glass comprised more temptation than Sherlock Holmes could resist, particularly when combined with rather more information about the movement of hospital ships than had been yet made available to the general public. He spotted _HMHS Lanfranc_ by her bright green and red lights when she was a mere speck upon the horizon and scanted his supper, preferring to spend his time watching the ship lumber slowly towards home. He wondered if Watson were looking back, binoculars trained upon the villa on the shoulder of the downs.

Then came nightfall, and the explosion.


	2. April 18, 1917

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> But sometimes things work out anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For a prompt for epistolary fic.

M ADVISES FIFTY CASUALTIES FROM SINKING OF HMHS LANFRANC STOP REPLY IF NOT AMONG THEM STOP SH

NOT AMONG THE FIFTY STOP AM BRUISED AND SODDEN AND HAVE LOST ENTIRE KIT STOP JHW

AGAIN QUERY SH

AGAIN STOP PLEASE ADVISE MY TAILOR STOP JHW

CAN YOU GET LEAVE AND WILL ARMY PAY FOR NEW UNIFORMS QUERY SH

KAISER WILL PAY STOP WON FIFTY POUNDS IN GOLD MARKS OFF GERMAN OFFICER BEFORE SHIP SANK STOP WILL HAVE LEAVE STARTING SUNDAY STOP JHW

SURPRISED YOU DIDNT SINK TOO STOP WILL BRING CAR TO PORTSMOUTH SUNDAY STOP SH

SEE YOU THEN STOP JHW

**Author's Note:**

> The Hospital Ship  
> by W. H. Littlejohn
> 
> There is a green-lit hospital ship,  
> Green, with a crimson cross,  
> Lazily swaying there in the bay,  
> Lazily bearing my friend away,  
> Leaving me dull-sensed loss.  
> Green-lit, red-lit hospital ship,  
> Numb is my heart, but you carelessly dip  
> There in the drift of the bay.
> 
> There is a green-lit hospital ship,  
> Dim as the distance grows,  
> Speedily steaming out of the bay,  
> Speedily bearing my friend away  
> Into the orange-rose.  
> Green-lit, red-lit hospital ship,  
> Dim are my eyes, but you heedlessly slip  
> Out of their sight from the bay.
> 
> There was a green-lit hospital ship,  
> Green, with a blood-red cross,  
> Lazily swaying there in the bay,  
> But it went out with the light of the day -  
> Out where the white seas toss.  
> Green-lit, red-lit hospital ship,  
> Cold are my hands and trembling my lip:  
> Did you make home from the bay?


End file.
